The iMasons Innovation Podcast Thought Leadership

#30 Innovation You Can Join: The iMasons 2026 System

In this episode, Romain Tranchant, Chair of the iMasons Innovation Committee, reveals how innovation will operate at iMasons in 2026: as a structured, predictable, and participative system. You’ll hear how the committee has moved to a 12-month operating model, introduced working groups, expanded global timezone coverage, and created clearer pathways for members, partners, and innovators to get involved. 

The episode features two fireside chats that anchor both vision and execution. 

First, Cyre Quinones, CEO of iMasons, shares her perspective on the unique position iMasons holds in the digital infrastructure industry. She explains what makes the community credible, why innovation at iMasons is different from traditional industry approaches, and where she sees the greatest opportunity for iMasons to create influence and value. 

Then, Rudolf Gordon-Seymour, EMEA Regional Director, brings the regional and operational perspective. He explores how this vision translates into real engagement on the ground, how members and partners can activate locally, and why the Innovation Committee model creates momentum that goes beyond individual events or initiatives. 

Together, these conversations show how iMasons connects leadership vision with practical execution. From working groups and open meetings, to thought leadership sessions, the startup incubator, and pitch competitions, this episode makes it clear how innovation is no longer something to observe, but something to step into. 

By the end of the episode, you’ll understand: 

• How innovation at iMasons is structured in 2026 

• Why leadership is fully behind this model 

• How global vision connects with regional action 

• Exactly where and how you can get involved 

Innovation at iMasons is now a system. This episode shows you how to use it. 

🔗Engage with the Innovation Committee

All the ways to get involved are available in one place: 

working groups, open meetings, thought leadership, the startup incubator, pitch competitions, and content. 

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Access the Engagement Hub here: 

👉 https://forms.gle/nPuU8rq8N8Cq8UhTA 

This is your single entry point to participate in iMasons Innovation. 

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Guests:  

Cyre Quinones, CEO of iMasons 

Rudolf Gordon-Seymour, EMEA Regional Director of iMasons 

Moderator:

Romain Tranchant, iMasons Innovation Committee Chair 

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Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership 

 

#29 Innovation Unwrapped: Inside the iMasons Innovation Committee Dec 2025

Innovation Unwrapped is a fast-paced overview of what’s ahead for iMasons Innovation in 2026 and beyond.

In this recorded session, iMasons Innovation Committee leaders share highlights from the committee’s roadmap, upcoming initiatives, and opportunities for members and partners to get involved — from new working groups to future events and collaborations. This session covers:

• Innovation Committee priorities and roadmap
• Current projects and incubator updates
• Upcoming events and opportunities to engage
• How members and partners can participate

Whether you’re an active iMasons member or exploring ways to collaborate, this session offers a clear look at how innovation is being shaped across the iMasons community.

🔗 Learn more about iMasons Innovation: https://imasons.org/initiatives/innov...

🔔 Subscribe for more Innovation sessions and committee updates.

#28 The Next Generation Data Centre: Innovation, Energy, and Optimism with Yuval Bachar

What if everything we know about data centres — from power and cooling to management — needed to be reinvented from scratch? In this episode of the iMasons Podcast, Romain Tranchant sits down with Yuval Bachar, Founder & CEO of ECL, to explore how he’s redefining what a sustainable, modular, and energy-conscious data centre can be. 

Yuval shares how innovation now moves in 12-month cycles instead of four-year ones, and why leaders must create space for teams to take risks, fail fast, and learn faster. They talk about the shift from competition to collaboration, the coming energy crunch, and how data-centre operators might soon play a direct role in power generation. 

It’s a conversation about technology, leadership, and mindset — from lessons borrowed from NASA to the optimism and curiosity that fuel every breakthrough. If you want to hear how true innovation happens when we dare to start from zero, this episode is for you. 

Guest: Yuval Bachar, Founder and CEO of Edge Cloud Link 

Moderator: Romain Tranchant, iMasons Innovation Committee Chair 

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Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership 

#27 Can ESG Outweigh Profit? A Real Talk with Southwire’s General Counsel

What happens when a century-old manufacturer decides that sustainability isn’t a department — it’s the business itself? 

In this episode of the iMasons Podcast, I sit down with Burt Fealing, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Sustainability Officer at Southwire, to explore how one of America’s largest wire and cable companies is rewiring its operations for a carbon-neutral future. 

We talk about what it really takes to align five ESG pillars with commercial reality, how to trace embedded carbon all the way back to the mine, and what happens when transparency meets tough internal resistance. Burt shares lessons from Southwire’s journey to carbon neutrality by 2025, the breakthroughs that worked, and the strategies that didn’t. 

It’s a conversation about leadership under pressure, the courage to publish real data, and how sustainability becomes transformative only when it stops being convenient. If you want to hear what ESG looks like when it’s lived, not just written — this episode is for you. 

Guest:  

Burt Fealing, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Sustainability Officer at Southwire 

Moderator: Romain Tranchant, iMasons Innovation Committee Chair 

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Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership 

 

 

#26 Shaping the Next Generation: Education, Talent, and Innovation with Nabeel Mahmood

In this episode of the iMasons Podcast, host Romain Tranchant sits down with Nabeel Mahmood, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Nomad Futurist, to explore how education, talent, and innovation come together to shape the future of digital infrastructure. From his global career to his work inspiring the next generation, Nabeel shares what drives his mission to make our industry more visible, accessible, and purposeful. 

Together, they dive into powerful questions — why does innovation start with learning? What makes real talent stand out in a world of AI and automation? And how can education spark a movement that transforms not just technology, but people? 

If you're invested in shaping the future of digital infrastructure leadership — and want to discover how to ignite passion in the next generation — this is a conversation you won’t want to miss." 

Guest: Nabeel Mahmood, co-founder and managing director of Nomad futurist, board member for both private and public company 

Moderator:  Romain Tranchant, iMasons Innovation Committee Chair 

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Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership 

 

#25 From Cost Center to Catalyst: Rethinking Infrastructure Investment

John Cowan is the founder of Next Wave Partners, a venture studio and investment fund redefining early-stage capital through founder-aligned financing structures. He is the author of Venture Capital 2.0, a widely circulated critique of the legacy VC model and a blueprint for building startups in the post–power law era. 

Next Wave developed the Safer—a hybrid investment instrument that prioritizes revenue-based returns and long-term alignment—offering founders capital without control loss, and investors access to a perpetual fund unconstrained by traditional VC timelines. 

Our conversation dives into why Wall Street and Silicon Valley often overlook infrastructure, where new sources of capital could emerge, and how to ensure that investments unlock the right opportunities for AI, smart cities, and autonomous systems. We examine different modes of investment—from patient capital to community-driven models—and consider how smart city and autonomy initiatives highlight the diversity of funding approaches. 

Moderator:  
Romain Tranchant, iMasons Innovation Committee Chair 

Guest: 

John Cowan, founder of Next Wave Partners and author of “Venture Capital 2.0” 

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Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership 

#24 A Fresh Lens on Recruitment: Transferable Skills as a Growth Engine with Liam Round at Teksan

Liam Round, Managing Director for Teksan UK and Regional Director for Europe & Africa, joins us to share his inspiring journey from military service to leadership in the data centre industry. A proud member of the iMasons Veterans’ community, Liam reveals how his service shaped his people-first approach in recruitment. He shares lessons from rebuilding teams from the ground up and emphasizes the importance of transferable skills in driving innovation and sustainable business growth. 

As Liam puts it: “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” This mindset continues to fuel his commitment to transformation, resilience, and progress – both in business and in life. 

Moderator:  
Romain Tranchant, Chair of the iMasons Innovation Committee 

Guest: 

Liam Round, Managing Director UK and Regional Director for Europe & Africa, Teksan 

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Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership 

 

#23 Thought Leadership | Turning AI’s Energy Demand into a Climate Opportunity | iMasons Panel at IRENA BONN

Innovation Committee Chair, Romain Tranchant, leads a panel at the IRENA Conference in BONN on behalf of the iMasons Climate Accords. 

This session unpacks how the rapid growth in global data centre electricity demand, driven by AI advancement, can be transformed from a grid challenge into an opportunity for accelerating renewable energy deployment and achieving decarbonisation targets. 

Moderator:  
Romain Tranchant, Chair of the Innovation Committee, iMasons Climate Accord 

Panelists: 
Andres Acosta, Director of Innovation, LevelTen 
Trigya Singh, Head of Corporate Sourcing, Global Renewable Alliance 
Sylvie Tarnai, Chief Strategy Officer, Energy Pool 
Jill McArdle PhD, International Corporate Campaigner, Beyond Fossil Fuels 
Gema del Río Castro, IDAE – Spanish Government  

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Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership